Ventilator blind construction



Nov. 18, 1952 J. M. HICKS.. ETAL VENTILATOR BLIND CONSTRUCTION FiledFeb. 28. 1952 BY N AAw/Q.

R../Z/ M 4 H MMO a V F u? m PH 8 m x m JMC E 4 Patented Nov. 18, 1952VENTILATOR BLIND CONSTRUCTION James M. Hicks, Sausolito, and MarioZolezzi,

San Francisco, Calif., assignors to El Rey Venetian Blind Company, acopartnership Application February 28, 1952, Serial No. 273,948

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a construction for a ventilator to be used inan opening such as that as is provided by a window.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide asimple ventilator structure which can be installed in an opening as thatprovided by a window, to permit access of air and light and yet provideprivacy.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novelventilator construction which enables the ventilator to be adjustedreadily to accommodate openings of different widths.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel mountingfor a ventilator slat in a support.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter wherein thepresent preferred form of ventilator construction embodying thisinvention is disclosed.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a I part hereof,

Figure 1 is a perspective view with portions of a window frame brokenaway to illustrate the ventilator blind construction embodying thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of one end of the blind.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken through an intermediate portion of theblind. Referring to the drawing, a window frame is generally indicatedat 6 having a sash 1 movable therein. Mounted between the horizontalsill 8 of the window and the side frames is a ventilator generallyindicated at 9 and embodying the present invention. The ventilator 9includes a plurality of spaced vertical supports respectively indicatedat ll, [2, l3 and M. A first plurality of slats 16 are extended betweenthe first and second supports H and 13, while a second plurality ofslats i! are mounted between the third and fourth supports, [2 and [4.In the embodiment disclosed, the respective slats are preferablyprovided by thin, flexible metal slats such as the typical aluminumslats now frequently utilized for Venetian blind manufacture, but flatwooden slats can also be utilized. Each slat is preferably curved on aradius about its transverse axis, each slat being suitably painted orotherwise of an acceptable color.

The respective plurality of slats l6 and I! are mounted in theirrespective supports in a parallel and spaced relation to one another andwherein each plurality of slats are successively suitably superimposedto provide a ventilator suitable for mounting in a window frame. When itis desired to provide a ventilator to fit a window of a given size, andwithout any feature of adjustment, it is only necessary to mount asingle plurality of slats in a pair of the vertical supports, theparticular mounting being further presently described. However, when itis desired to provide a ventilator which is adjustable to fit variousopenings, then the respective plurality of slats are mounted in suchrelation to one another that the respective and corresponding individualslats in the first plurality are slidable over the correspondingindividual slat in the second plurality of slats .whereby the slats canbe adjusted to provide a ventilator corresponding to the total length ofthe two plurality of slats, or else collapsed to the length ofsubstantially only one of the individual plurality of slats. Toaccomplish this, it is, of course, necessary that the intermediatesupports in each support pair, namely supports l2 and I3, be sofashionedthat the slats of one plurality are slidable upon the slats in the otherpluralities, as will presently appear.

To mount the respective slats in vertical supports H, 13 and i4, eachvertical support is provided with an aperture generally indicated at 2|,and corresponding substantially to the shape of the slat in transversesection, but preferably hav ing a shape which is slightly different fromthat of the slat so that the slat is sli htly flexed in the aperture.Thus, with a curved slat, the aperture receiving the slat is of acurvature slightly different from that of the slat in transversesection. To retain the slats in place, the outer edges of each slat ineach of the respective pluralities are notched as at 22 and 23. Asappears in Figure 2, the end of each slat will stand slightly above theend of the aperture and so retain the end of the slat in engagement withone of the end vertical supports II and M; to facilitate this, eachaperture 2! in an end support I! or M includes a portion 24 extendinginwardly in the direction of the radius of curvature to maintainengagement of the notches 22 and 23 with the vertical suppor Inintermediate support i 2, that heretofore designated as the thirdsupport, projections 26 are provided, these extending outwardly alongthe radius from the lower edge of the aperture 2| to engage the notchesin the lower slat of the slat pair and permit the outer slats to standabove the lower slat and so permit the two to slide while 3 the lowerslat is retained in engagement with the intermediate support.

From the foregoing, we believe it will be apparent that we have provideda novel, simple and improved adjustable Ventilator construction andparticularly a novel mounting for the slats comprising the ventilator intheir supports. Instead of two pluralitiesmfislats, one canusethree ormore, depending on the width to be accommodated.

We claim:

In a ventilator of the class described;.;a7first.pl1r: rality of thinflexible metal slats having transverse notches in each edge thereofadjacent eachend thereof, a first and a second suppprtengagedr with saidslats at each end thereof and supporting said slats in a parallelspacedrelation;lay-seem ond plurality of thin flexible metal slatshavingvtransverse notches in eachedge thereof adjacent each end ofthe-second plurality' of-"slats' andsupportingsaid slats in a parallelspaced--relation; each ofthe second and third su-pports beingaper 4tured to pass slidably the slats of that plurality of slats other thanthat to which such support is secured, each of the first, second andfourth supports includin an upwardly extending narrow arcuate slot toreceive and pass a slat, the lower edge of each slot being recessed toprovide upstanding projections to engage the notchesin the ends of theslats" engageditlferewith,s-thetthitd support beingpositionedintermediate the first and second supports to provide support for oneend of thesecond plurality of slats and to pass slidablythe-.first-pluralitypfslats, said third support having an upwardlyextending narrow arcuate slot, thezupperedge of'eachslot being recessedto provide"depending:projections to engage the notches in an'end of thesecond plurality of slats.

JAMES M. HICKS. MARIO ZOLEZZI.

REFERENCES CITED The :following references "are of *recordim the file ofthis patent! UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Namei. Date;

22105165 Wheeler .Aug;16i 19405 2,58%;268 Achleret alua Dec; 125;- 1951.

